Harrison's Reports (1949)

January. 29, 1949 HARRISON'S REPORTS 19 "Rose of the Yukon" with Steve Brodie, Myrna Dell and William Wright (Republic, January 5; time, 59 ruin.) Set against an Alaskan background, this is a routine outdoor action melodrama, with enough excitement and suspense to please the undiscriminating. The story, despite its timely angle about pitchblende ore required for atomic bombs, is so ordinary that one knows almost from the beginning just how it will progress and end. But the plot developments provide several thrills; and there are fights and dog-sled chases of the usual order. One fairly long sc quence, which depicts the comical antics of two bear cubs who tear apart the inside of a cabin, should amuse the youngsters. A well staged sequence, one that is considerably exciting shows an attack on a herd of deer by a pack of wild dogs: — When a photograph of William Wright as the winner of a betting pool appears in an anchorage newspaper, Steve Brodie, of army intelligence, identifies him as a former war buddy who was supposedly killed in action on Attu. He goes to Alaska where he poses as a mining engineer anxious to get in touch with his friend. Brodie tries to get information about Wright from Myrna Dell, an entertainer and Wright's girl-friend, but she suspects his motives and tells him nothing. When Myrna suddenly leaves town, Brodie follows her over a rough Arctic trail to her cabin, which adjoined a cabin owned by Wright. He finds in Wright's cabin Japanese assay reports of unknown Alaskan pitchblende deposits obviously being mined by Wright for his own purposes. When Brodie discloses his identity to Myrna and reveals to her the facts about Wright's traitor' ous conduct, she is reluctant to believe him. But she becomes convinced late that night when Wright sneaks into her cabin and tells her that they will become rich and powerful through the sale of the ore to a foreign nation. Myrna, horrified, hides her true feelings and promises to meet him at the mine. But on the following day she leads Brodie to the mine, enabling him to capture Wright. Back in town, Wright breaks out of jail and makes a bold attempt on Brodie's life, but he falls dead when Brodie's bullets find their mark. His mission completed, Brodie, by this time in love with Myrna, takes her back to Washington. It was produced by Stephen Auer and directed by George Blair from an original screen play by Norman S. Hall. The cast includes Emory Parnell, Benny Baker, Jonathan Hale and others. Unobjectionable morally. "A Man About the House" with Kieron Moore, Margaret Johnston and Dulcie Gray (20th Century-Fox, Feb.; time, 93 min.) A good British-made drama, but it is strictly for the adult trade because of the story's sex implications. The theme, although unpleasant in many respects, is different and interesting. Audiences who are looking for something different should find it absorbing, but it will have to be sold by the exhibitor because of the lack of marquee names. That it is an absorbing picture is due, not only to the interesting story, but also to the realistic settings, the excellent performances, and the intelligent direction. Although fine performances are given by every one of the principal players, it is really Kieron Moore who is the outstanding personality. The role he portrays is a colorful although unpleasant one; and he acts it with competence and realism: — Margaret Johnston and Dulcie Gray, impoverished English spinster sisters, inherit a huge estate near Naples from a deceased uncle. Arriving there, they find the estate managed by Kieron Moore, an Italian descendant of the estate's original owners, whose help proves invaluable to them. Margaret favors selling the place and returning to England, but she decides to remain because of Dulcie's love for the beauty and comfort of the estate. Moore, a promiscuous fellow with women, captivates the sisters with his charm and, in due time, Margaret falls madly in love with him and marries him after a whirlwind affair. Believing that the estate had been wrongly taken from his ancestors, Moore decides to rid himself of Margaret so that he might inherit her share of the estate. Through a process of slow poisoning she becomes seriously ill, but being under the complete domination of Moore she refuses to consult a doctor, despite Dulcie's pleas. Meanwhile Moore, under the guise of a loving husband, carries on his affairs with other women. No longer able to stand Margaret's sufferings, Dulcie summons Guy Middleton, an old friend and physician. A cursory examination soon reveals to Middleton that Moore had been feeding her arsenic. So as not to disillusion Margaret's love for Moore, Middleton gives him an opportunity to leave the country after giving him a sound thrashing in a furious cliffside fight. Moore, realizing that the estate was lost to him forever, commits suicide. Margaret is nursed back to health and, still believing in the greatness of her lover, remains on the estate to carry on his work while Dulcie and Middleton, without revealing the truth, return to England to marry. It was produced by Edward Black and directed by Leslie Arliss from a screen play by John Perry, based on the novel by Francis Brett Young. Adult fare. "The Life of Riley" with William Bendix, James Gleason and Meg Randall (Univ.-Int'l, no rel. date set; time, 87 min.) Based on the popular radio show of the same name, this is a highly amusing domestic comedy, the sort that should go over best with the family trade. The story, though thin, is a breezy combination of comedy, romance and sentiment, centering around the trials and tribulations of a slow-witted but lovable head of a family. One is kept chuckling through most of the action, with several of the many gags and situations provoking hearty laughter. At times, the comedy borders on the slapstick. There is nothing subtle about William Bendix's performance in the leading role, but he makes the characterization humorous and keeps the action moving at a lively pace. Considering the popularity of the radio show on which the picture is based, many persons who follow the program want to see the picture; with this additional source to draw from, the picture may do well at the box-office : — Bendix, an aircraft riveter, finds it difficult to make both ends meet on his small salary but lives happily with his patient wife, Rosemary DeCamp, his daughter, Meg Randall, and his young son, Larry Rees, in their rented Los Angeles home. The domestic tranquility of their home is interrupted by a visit from Bill Goodwin, a brash but prosperous fellow who had been Rosemary's suitor years previously. Bendix makes believe that he, too, is prosperous, but he becomes involved in an expensive dinner in a restaurant and has to bail himself out with the contents of his son's piggy bank. He becomes despondent over the fact that he is a complete failure in contrast to Goodwin, but his spirit returns when his kindly employer, William E. Green, promotes him to the position of foreman. His happiness, however, is short-lived when he learns that Beulah Bondi, his landlady, has decided to sell the house. He tries in vain to raise the required $1,500 down payment to buy the house. To help matters, Meg, who loved Richard Long, Miss Bondi's nephew, accepts a proposal of marriage from Mark Daniels, son of Bendix's employer, upon his promise to help her father. Meg was unaware of the fact that Daniels' only reason for marrying her was to fulfill a requirement that would give him control of a trust fund and thus enable him to pay off a $20,000 gambling debt. Daniels sees to it that Bendix is given an important executive post as well as a bonus that enables him to buy the house. On the day of the wedding, Bendix, through his son's flair for being a detective, learns the reason for Daniels' haste to get married. He stops the wedding and restores Meg to Long's arms. His employer, realizing that his son is a scoundrel and admiring Bendix for doing the right thing, insists that Bendix retain his executive post, thus assuring the family of financial security. The story was written, directed, and produced by Irving Brccher. Suitable for the entire family.